Jeremiah 39:1-41:18, 2 Timothy 1:1-18, Psalm 90:1-91:16, Proverbs 26:1-2
Today is the 22nd day of October, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian and it’s always wonderful to be here with you. So, it’s wonderful now for us to have a place together around the Global Campfire and take the next step forward. Our next step forward, leads us back into the book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament, and then we get to the New Testament, we will move forward in the pastoral epistles. We concluded first Timothy yesterday. And so, we will begin second Timothy today and we’ll talk about second Timothy when we get there. But first Jeremiah chapters 39, 40 and 41 today.
Introduction into the Book of Second Timothy:
Okay, so now we have come to the book, or the letter known as second Timothy, having completed first Timothy yesterday. And second Timothy, notwithstanding the scholarly controversies that have been going on a long time about the pastoral epistles and who wrote them, this letter is written as if it were written by Paul to his son in the faith Timothy, and it appears this is the last thing he ever wrote. He knows now, Paul is back in prison, he’s not being treated well, he knows he’s about to die, very likely, short of a miracle. And we can read that gravity, as we read the letter. So, just remembering, Timothy is a son in the faith to the apostle Paul. Timothy at this time, was the pastor of the church in Ephesus. Paul looked at Timothy as a son, a son in the faith. Now Paul had been under arrest previously, he appealed to Caesar, but it appears he was able to have freedom and was released from custody and traveled once more. And probably, during that last bit of travel, is when the pastoral epistles of first Timothy, second Timothy and Titus were written. But then, Paul was arrested again, with the new Emperor. He was incarcerated under Emperor Nero. And Emperor Nero is historically a pretty bad guy, at least if you’re looking at from a Christian perspective. He was savage to the Christians and inventing just terrible ways to torture people. Like we’ve heard of Roman candles, but this is like to dip somebody in a flammable material, and kind of impale them on up a pole and then set them on fire and make them a human candlelight. Like, lighting roadways, that kind of craziness, that kind of like, who sits down and thinks this awful stuff up, sort of thing. This is when Nero was notorious for during his reign and there’s plenty more, you can search for Nero and find out all about it is if that’s what you want to do. But Paul is incarcerated again, and he is not likely to get a favorable judgment. So, just knowing that and ironically in Rome, there is sort of like the Imperial dungeon, and the dungeon that it is thought that Paul had spent some time in actually, that Peter spent some time in as well. But that Paul, like this is what we’re talking about, this is where Paul was, and I have stood in that dungeon and there’s not a lot of room. I’ve imagined dungeons in my mind, reading the Bible since I was a kid. This was all of that, dark dank, small, zero conveniences you know, no HVAC, no furnace. So, however, it is outside, it’s how it’s going to be in the dungeon, if not worse. Paul talks about that in second Timothy, he wants his coat, he wants his parchments, like there’s so much personal stuff in this letter, that is so bittersweet, to begin to understand what we’re waiting here is thought to be the last letter of Paul. Understanding all that we’ve learned about Paul and all that we’ve gone through with Paul. So, to reach the end, to sort of realize Paul sure would love to see his son again, his son in the faith, he’d sure love to see Timothy again, if it’s possible in any sort of way. If Timothy can get there, if a miracle happens, if he could see him again, that would be really, really wonderful. But for Paul to be sitting in the dungeon, writing a letter that may very well be the last things he gets to say to Timothy, because the timing may not work out and they may never see each other again. That gives us a perspective from which to read this letter. And it wasn’t right, Christians were basically become scapegoats, they were marginalized, and Nero was a lot of, had a lot to do with that marginalizing the Christians and blaming them for things and stereotyping them in such a way that it was looked like they were anti-Roman, they were against the Empire and so persecution had broken out. And Paul is probably not getting out of jail and as we know he doesn’t. And for Paul to be incarcerated, awaiting trial, awaiting likely execution, meant not only that Paul was gonna die, but it also meant that he was gonna have to leave the churches that he planted and the people that he loved. And persecution was truly breaking out, so he would be gone, and they would have to face the persecutions that were descending upon Christian people. So, he tells Timothy to be awake, to be vigilant, to stay true to his faith, to stay true no matter what happens. But this is also the letter where Paul, reflecting upon his own life, says something very famous, that he had fought the good fight of faith and finished the race. And so, with that, we begin; second Timothy chapter 1.
Prayer:
Thank You Father for Your word. Thank You for bringing us safely and successfully through another week to spend together around the Global Campfire. Thank You for bringing us into this territory of second Timothy, may we consider it with deep gravity and allow it to encourage and instruct us. Come, Holy Spirit, and lead us into all truth. We ask this expectantly, knowing that You will, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com that is home base, home of the Global Campfire. It’s where you find out what’s going on around here, unless you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, and that will also tell you what’s going on around here, in the palm of your hand. So, check that out. I have been mentioning this week and told the whole story earlier this week, about a brand-new resource that is coming in just a little over a week on the first day of November. A brand-new resource called Sleep, A Contemplative Journey, will release. And this is part two, that began with Heart, A Contemplative Journey and now Sleep, A Contemplative Journey. And this is the first project I’ve been able to mix using spatial audio or Dolby Atmos and I really wanted to do that. Like I was planning to do that as a plan for this project out, because I really felt like creating a very large, wide, spacious, a warm atmosphere for our rest, which would be appropriate, and it is really beautiful. It is a very lovely space to be in and so that has been very enjoyable although there are a bunch of technical hoops to jump through to kind of sort that out. It is what it needs to be. So, this will be coming on 1 November, but it is available for preorder now, just go to whatever, wherever it is that you get your music and search for Sleep, A Contemplative Journey, or search for my name or whatever, and you should be able to find it and preorder it. And I am very much looking forward to hearing your sleep stories. So, go check that out wherever you get your music.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible. Thank you, humbly, we would not, we would not be here if we were not in this together and so thank you, profoundly for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.
And as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, that is the little red button up at the top or you can dial 877-942-4253.
And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here, tomorrow.
Prayer and Encouragements:
I am Grateful Gracie from Montana. I’m so pleased to be a member of the DAB family. I don’t call in much, I do listen to the prayers and requests and I just, I don’t know what to say except thank you all for your blessings very much. I’m an old lady and I can’t get my words straight. But God bless you all and my joy is in heaven. Hope to see you there, love you.
Hi, I’ve lived most of my life in addiction. And for about 20 years, I thought that if I would work at a church, that that might help me to overcome my addiction. So, I spent a little over 20 years as a lay minister or a teacher in the churches. And but all that did was lead to me living a dual life. And that dual life became unmanageable about 5 years ago. So, I left the church. The consequences of my addiction and poor choices, led to my arrest and subsequent conviction. While I was in jail, Papa came and sat with me and reframed everything I thought I knew about Him and our faith. Instead of prison, I was gratefully given 10 years of probation and I’ll be 69 years old when I’m finished. As a part of recovery, I wanted to listen to the Bible every day and I found the DAB. The terms of probation make it very difficult for me to go to church or to attend a church. So, my community became a 12 step programs. But when I began to listen to the prayers of the DAB, I found my home church. And I pray for each and every one of you. My spirit is full, and I am well, I’m good. And I have the rush of God that I’ve ever had in my entire life. The one thing that’s been missing for me is a full night’s sleep and I have been praying for the answer. And when I heard Brian’s announcement today, I knew that Papa was answering my prayers. So, thanks to each of you for being a part of my life. And thank you Brian for these resources that you share with us. I am grateful in Tennessee.
Good morning DAB family. This is God’s Little Mud Petal from Maryland. I’m calling for my nephew Jacob. He’s been struggling, trying to sleep and been having really bad dreams. So, as Brian was talking about struggling with sleep, I thought to bring Jacob before you guys and ask that you would just pray for him, that he would have dreams of growing to meet Jesus as Lord and Savior. And he will find rest in the loving arms of Christ. I thank you for your prayers for him. I thank you that you are willing to take the time to lift him up. Thank you.
Hello DAB family it’s your girl Val here in Vegas. I love you, I love you, I love you. Hey, please keep up the prayers, it’s working. Oh, God, I’m expecting a great testimony about my healing ya’ll, my range of motion is increasing, the physical therapy is working, praise God. And speaking of prayer, let’s go after it. That’s what we do here. And family, let’s not just be a family that prays together, and I don’t mean to say “just”, we need to be a family that prays together. Let’s be a family that gives together. Giving to this ministry, our talents, our tithe and our resources. And we thank You Father. God, right now, we want to pray for Mr. Brian Hardin, Lord. Thank You for the vision that You’ve given him, Lord. And thank You that You give him the strength to execute, Lord, thank You, thank You, thank You. As I thank about our word Rooted, Lord, and how rooted in the Word, I have been this year, Lord. And I have to say thank you to this ministry, Father. God, protect him. Lord, continue to give him the style and grace to read the word to us every single day, Lord. Build him up Lord. Whatever he may feel that he’s lacking, God, let his cup overflow, Heavenly Father. God, bless, not only him and the ministry but, Lord, his family. Anyone attached to Brian wins Lord. Thank You Heavenly Father, thank You Lord Jesus. God, thank You for the ability to tithe to this ministry, God, it means so much to me. Lord, provide everything that they need, Lord, in abundance, Heavenly Father. God, I’m sure that if you bless him, they’ll be a blessing to someone else, Lord. So, let it flow Father, let it flow, let it flow, let it flow. I love you all and I’ll see you next month. Stay rooted. Stay strong. We’re just so close to the end. We can do it. In Jesus name, I know we can do it family. I love you all so much. I’ll see you next month.